Sunday, May 11, 2008

Jackpots and Parrot Training

Jackpots are really a “trainer” thing. I define them as bigger or more preferred reinforcers presented after an approximation that might be particularly challenging for the bird to achieve. I also use them when an approximation is presented that is a bit closer to the final desired goal. In theory my hope is that the parrot will learn that the approximation that earned the jackpot is worth repeating. I see them particularly useful as a tool to keep behavioral momentum going and also to get past hurdles in training.

However, I am also careful not to jackpot too often. This is because a parrot may find it frustrating or perhaps even punishing to receive lots of great treats and then suddenly the good stuff disappears when you go back to the normally received reinforcer. I also don’t want the reinforcer to be so distracting that the parrot forgets what was happening in the training session.

Here is the really interesting thing. At this point there is no scientific data that supports “jackpotting” as a tool to facilitate training. In fact some think jackpots do more for the trainer than the animal. They just may be a superstitious trainer thing. It makes us feel good to offer a better reinforcer when the parrot has done well.

The good news is there are a few researchers working on experiments to test jackpotting. I am anxious to hear the results. I too am learning and perhaps I will soon learn that jackpots were really just reinforcers for me! We’ll soon see.

3 comments:

What do you consider appropriate treats for training?? i am working with my DYH for stepping up and am using peanut halves, which Happy loves, but I fear that I may be contributing too many calories to her diet. Any suggestions?

Very wise of you to be careful with your bird's diet. If you want to limit the amount of peanuts she consumes an easy thing to do is break that one peanut into at least 20 little pieces. You will be surprised how much a parrot will do for a tiny reinforcer. I also have an article on using food to train on my website for downloading http://www.goodbirdinc.com/digitalmedia.html

It covers many different ways to create motivation for food that can help reduce the need for too many fatty treats. Hope that helps!

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About Me

Barbara Heidenreich has been a professional in the field of animal training and behavior since 1990. She travels the world training the earth’s most unusual creatures using science based training technology. Her company Barbara's Force Free Animal Training (www.BarbarasFFAT.com) provides animal training products and services to the companion parrot, rabbit and guinea pig communities. Her products include books, videos, webinars and animal training workshops. She also provides consulting services to zoos, nature centers and other animal facilities. She is a clinical adjunct instructor at Texas A & M University. Barbara is a former president of the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators and served on the Board of Directors from 1997-2009. In her career she has trained animals, trained staff, lectured and/or presented shows at over 40 facilities around the world. Barbara has made over 200 presentations on animal training in 20 countries. She is famous for her enthusiastic and entertaining presentations, but her true gift is her kind and gentle approach to animal training. Her goal is to leave a legacy of kindness to animals and others by sharing her expertise.